4 Wednesday, June 17, 2020 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon City of Sisters COVID-19 Situation Report By Cory Misley City Manager The City of Sisters con- tinues to be in a declared state of emergency. This declaration is scheduled to last until June 24. The City has been preparing to phase out of a state of emergency while sustaining adjusted policies and new programs that were implemented by way of administrative order (such as utility service bill- ing relief and the right-of- way parklet program). To extend those temporary pol- icies beyond the sunsetting emergency declaration will require adoption of resolu- tions by the City Council scheduled for the June 24 City Council meeting. The focus over the past month 4 three weeks of Phase 1 re-opening and the first week of Phase 2 4 has been balancing public health and economic pros- perity. The City has contin- ued to monitor the health data closely. The City con- tinues to support the State (Oregon Health Authority) and County (Deschutes Public Health) restrictions and recommendations. The City does not employ any public health officials and has relied on County Public Health for their expertise. Deschutes County has main- tained countywide data and other resources at: www. deschutes.org/health/page/ covid-19-novel-coronavirus. On June 9, the City Budget Committee approved the Fiscal Year 2020/21 bud- get (beginning July 1). The City9s financial health is stable, even with uncertainty and an anticipated reduction of revenue associated with tourism and overnight stays. The budget provides finan- cial assistance to local busi- nesses including a reduction in business license fees, funds for procurement of supplies such as handwash- ing stations and barrels for the parklet program, and other flexible funds that can be used during the rest of 2020 and first half of 2021. The enduring strength of the Sisters community for one another has been inspir- ing. Staying the course will be important over the com- ing weeks and months. If you9re able, check in with a local nonprofit organiza- tion and learn how to offer support. As always, now more than ever, shop at local businesses to the extent you can. If you need informa- tion or support, reach out to the City and we9ll work to get you what you need whether it can be provided by the City, County, State, or Federal government or a local nonprofit in our com- munity. Learn more at www. ci.sisters.or.us. Commentary... Teach your children well By Edie Jones Columnist Our country is going through a radical change, and our children are watch- ing and observing. I9m talk- ing about the movement against racism. The June 8 webpage of www.afineparent.com shared an article entitled